Jaqueline Leonard revealed she still gets recognised for playing Lorraine Wicks on EastEnders from 1996 to 1997, and whether she is returning to the soap
Actress Jacqueline Leonard has been a part of our screens for almost 30 years, starting from her modest beginnings as Sarah Preston in the medical drama Peak Practice to her breakthrough role as Lorraine Wicks in EastEnders.
Though Jacqueline has been a well-known face on British television for a long time, she acknowledges that sometimes she still needs confidence boosts. And Jacqueline, 58, tells us she’s managed to maintain her best game as she returns to Coronation Street as Linda Hancock.
She says, “I practise hypnotherapy a lot.” “And I have these CDs that support my confidence-building, help me sleep, and keep me calm. Not all the time, but sometimes, after putting in a lot of overtime at work, I need a pick-me-up. I then go to bed and play a cassette.
The Winter-Brown kids refer to Jacqueline as fashionable “Granny” Linda, and she enjoys her job on Coronation Street. After years of no communication, Linda made an effort to reestablish a connection with her two children, Izzy (Cherylee Houston) and Katy Armstrong (Georgia May Foote), upon her character’s arrival in 2015. However, her attempts were unsuccessful as both of them rejected her.
Linda became closer to her grandson Joseph Winter-Brown (William Flanagan), who now resides with his father Chesney together with Gemma Winter-Brown (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and their quadruplets, after Katy’s off-screen death in 2017.
After that, Linda went back to Portugal, but she eventually returned to Weatherfield in 2022 and attended Gemma and Chesney’s wedding the previous year. Linda is returning now with the intention of bringing Joseph abroad.
Although Linda doesn’t consciously want to take Joseph away from Gemma, Jacqueline notes that Linda feels quite maternal. “She only wants the best for that boy,” Linda said. Although Linda usually has the greatest of intentions, sometimes her intentions are misunderstood. “I am also a mother. I assume Linda feels the same way about me as she would do everything for her kid. She is concerned about her grandson’s welfare.
As a die-hard Coronation Street fan, Jacqueline is thrilled that fans have repeatedly called for Linda’s comeback on social media, demonstrating how beloved the character is.
“I love that I get to go back to my Northern roots, and I’m thrilled that they seem to be bumping up my character,” Jacqueline admits. After spending some time in the background, Linda is finally making a greater appearance on television.
It’s funny, in my opinion, since my agent often receives fan mail from younger men who comment on how much of a cougar she is. We adore her and are eager to see photos of my behind! Being in my fifties, I find it humorous.
However, Linda is one of those people you can love to detest. She is a gorgeous lady flaunting her wealth while wearing a seductive outfit. Bernie [Jane Hazlegrove], Joseph’s other grandmother, struggles to get money from anyplace. Between the two, there’s usually some tension and sometimes catfights. It’s returning to the classic Corrie.
Jacqueline like the glitz and glitter that come with portraying Linda and how the group elevates her instead of making her feel like a supporting actor. “I’m close friends with Claire Sweeney, who portrays Cassie Plummer. She’s a stunning, elegant lady, and I fit right in with her. Then all of a sudden, Claire seems to be a tired lady, and I’m leaving like Dallas’ Alexis Colby.”
Jacqueline works hard to keep her shape, however. “To stay toned, I go swimming or to the gym,” she explains. “It’s not that I eat poorly; I’m just naturally thin and one of those people who can eat whatever they like.”
Even though fans of Jacqueline from Corrie adore her, she hasn’t always had good criticism. Looking back on her 1996–1997 stint in EastEnders, she acknowledges that she found it difficult to handle some of their strong sentiments.
According to Jacqueline, Lorraine “had huge storylines, but she was also quite angsty and teary.” Tiffany Mitchell, Martine McCutcheon, was pregnant when she had the affair with Grant Mitchell, Ross Kemp. I had beautiful fan letters at first, but suddenly it was awful.
“It’s incredible that 23 million people watched the Christmas show, as I recall. However, one day when I was out shopping, a large group of youngsters spotted me and began yelling at me as we were walking down the street. I walked into a store and asked the man working there to let me go via the back since I didn’t want them to know where I lived, which was in Balham at the time. When he did, the store was closed for around five minutes. I bolted for home. The level of attention was astounding.
Jacqueline’s previous soap opera roles—she portrayed Valerie Holden in Hollyoaks in 2007 and Dr. Caroline Powers in Doctors—help her remain well-known, but she maintains that show business has given her resilience.
“At the time, people thought I was that EastEnders bitch. Social media has made things different in that people can now distinguish you from the persona. Now that I’m back on Corrie, interest is resuming. People in England don’t usually watch River City, but when I’m in Scotland, I get noticed for it more.
Jacqueline has managed to mix Corrie with her regular job as Lydia Murdoch in River City, where one of her hardest storylines ended after a stunning New Year’s finale, thanks to a three-month on, three-month off shooting schedule.
“It was a great storyline—a 50-something-year-old being raped by someone who knows her, and how the police and courts handled it,” she adds. “The New Year’s Day episode was excellent; it was really realistic and intense. It didn’t appear like a soap opera at all. I adore being associated with the mafia Murdoch family in my capacity as Lydia.
Jacqueline spends her free time at her Lancashire house. She spends her free time with her spouse Alex Mansfield and their daughter Aleisha, even though Aleisha does not currently reside with them. She also “paints and goes to the gym.”
Jacqueline replies, “My daughter is 21 years old now.” “She’s a fantastic singer, but she studies psychology at university.” Jacqueline claims that while her family has grown used to her being on TV and that “it’s just the norm to them now,” her husband is still her biggest admirer. “He sees the majority of the shows that I do. He likes Linda as well, but he really adores Lydia. I believe it’s due to her and Bernie’s humour. He cherished their cake-fighting incident at Gemma’s wedding.
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